Detonation block fuze mount



Feb. 18, 1964 D. E. SMITH 3,121,393

DETONATION BLOCK FUZE MOUNT Filed April 2, 1965 INV EN TOR BY M}ATTORNEY-5.

Donald E. Smith United States Patent 3,121,393 DETQNATION BLOCK FUZEMOUNT Donald E. Smith, Kiugsville, Md., assignor to the United States ofAmerica as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Apr. 2, 1963,Ser. No. 270,124 9 Claims. (til. 102-49) (Granted under Title 35, US.Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may bemanufactured 'and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment to me of anyroyalty thereon.

This invention relates to a mechanical arrangement for severing thecasing of a missile warhead to release a chemical agent payload.

It make use of a detonation block fuze mount which propagates theinitial explosive impulse furnished by a fuze to ignite a plurality ofconventional explosive detonating cords. The mentioned fuze may be ofany well known type that has a predetermined time setting means toemanate a flash. A suitable fuze of this kind for example is thestandard US. Army mechanical time fuze, M-42l, presently utilized in thechemical warhead section for the US. Army surface to surface LittlejohnRocket and-chemical warhead section for the US. Army, surface to surfaceHonest John Rocket.

The detonating cord may consist of any well known type such as forexample is described in a prior patent to Ortynsky et al., No.2,809,583.

Reference will now to made to the accompanying drawing which illustratesan example of construction according to the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective fragmentary embodiment of a cam and a fuze shownin locked position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective fragmentary embodiment of a cam and a fuze,shown in an unlocked position.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the missile warhead.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, thedetonation fuze mount generally made of metal as frusto-conical body 1which is designed to fit and to be fastened in the nose cone section ofa chemical agent filled missile 3 (see FIG. 5). The body 1 has in it, acentrally located and fastened fuze supporting block 5 having anengagement key 7. The fuze supporting block has a central hole 9containing a tetryl pellet 11 over which is placed a felt spacer 13. Thehole has near the bottom a plurality of radially extended communicatingpassageways 15, while out through its entire width it has a pair ofradially extended communicating channels or slots 17. Each of thepassageways 15 receives a soft aluminum ferrule 19 containing asubstantially long conventional detonating cord 21, shown in FIG. 5. Theend of the cords at the stems of the ferrules are left slightlyprotruding in order for them to attain positive contact with the tetrylpellet. The stems of the ferrules are left slightly protruding in orderfor them to attain positive contact with the tetryl pellet. The stemsare crimped about the cords preventing the latters withdrawal. Ifdesired the ferrules may be omitted and the cords firmly cemented insideof the passageways. The other ends of the detonating cords are feddownward through holes 23 into the lower end portion of the missilewarhead 3 where they are firmly secured (by means not shown). Each ofthe channels 17 receives a relatively short strand of detonating cord(not shown).

The fuze supporting block 5 has fastened on the top surface throughmeans of screws 25, a retaining clip 27. The general configuration ofthis clip is substantially the same as that of fuze supporting block 5.The clip having a pair of flash holes 29 aligning with the channels 17,and a key-way 31 to engage the key 7, is provided with a plurality offorked prongs 33 and a curved bracket 35. The prongs serve the purposeof holding the ferrules 19 in place, while the curved bracket engages abeveled flange 37 of a fuze 39 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The body 1 hasmounted next to the supporting block 5 through means of set screws 41, acam support 43 which houses in cavity 45, an expansion spring 47. Thecam support has on the top surface a pivotal cam 49 having a beveledcamming edge 51 and hook-shaped handle 53 welded thereon which serves asmeans for the rotation of said cam. The cam together with the handle,the cam support, and the expansion spring are held together by means ofa bolt 55. The expansion spring is retained on the bolt through means ofa washer 57 and a nut 59. The end of the bolt (having the washer and thenut) terminates in an over-sized well 61. The cylindrical body 1 isfitted and fastened onto the missile warhead through means of aplurality of bolts (not shown) which pass through holes 63 locatedinside of cut-outs 65.

At assembly stage, the fuze 39 is placed (by the operator) on the topsurface of the retaining clip 27. The bottom of the fuze engages the key7 while the beveled flange 37 engages the curved bracket 35. Theoperator rotates the cam 49 (through means of the handle 53) in aclockwise direction. This action brings the camming edge 51 into contactwith the beveled flange 37 forcing the latter to lock within the bracket35 (see FIG. 3). To release the fuze, the operator rotates the camcounter-clockwise (see FIG. 4) this action freeing the fuze for removal.

The sequence of events that occur for proper functioning of theinvention are as follows:

A hand operated spring biased cam secures the M421 fuze in properposition on the clip by orientation to accept the key.

Upon a pre-determined time setting, a flash emanates from the M-42lfuze. This flash detonates the detona ing cords 21 by means of thedetonation block fuze mount.

Since the M421 fuze consists of two timers used in parallel forreliability, either of two flash tubes in the fuze cam initiate first.Accordingly, either of the two short strands of detonating cord willcarry the explosive impulse to the central tetryl pellet. Ignition ofthis pellet simultaneously ignites the plurality of detonating cordswhich extend down the length of the missile warhead and thus severs thecasing.

It is envisioned that this concept can be successfully adapted andutilized in any application wherein an explosive impulse from a fuze isrequired to propagate ignition to any type detonating cordconfiguration.

While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown forthe purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a chemical agent filled guided missile warhead having a separablenose cone coextensive with an outer casing, and a flanged fuze meanshaving a plurality of flash tubes; a detonation block fuse mountcomprising the combination of:

(a) frusto-conical body means mounted in said nose cone;

(b) fuze supporting block means centerally mounted on the forward faceof said frusto-conical body means and having a central hole, a pluralityof radial slots extending outwardly from said hole and a plurality ofpassageways extending from said hole to the outer surfaces of said blockmeans, said slots being in communication with said flash tubes of saidfuze means;

(c) retaining clip means attached to the forward surface of said blockmeans, said clip means having curved bracket means adapted to fit saidflanged fuze means thereon and having a plurality of flash holes thereinin communication with said flash tubes of said fuze means;

(d) cam means having handle means thereon pivotally mounted on theforward face of said frusto-conical body means spaced from said blockmeans whereby upon rotation of said handle means said fuze means issecured in place between said cam means and said curved bracket means.

2. A chemical agent filled guided missile warhead as set forth in claim1 in which the flange of said fuze means is a frusto-conical flange.

3. A chemical agent filled guided missile warhead as set forth in claim2 in which said cam means comprises a semi-circular disk with a beveledcammin'g edge.

4. A chemical agent filled guided missile warhead as set forth in claim1 in which said fuze means has two flash tubes and said block means hasthree passageways.

5. In a chemical agent filled guided missile warhead having a nose cone,an outer casing, and a flanged fuze means having a plurality of fiashtubes, a detonation block fuze mount comprising the combination of:

(a) frusto-conical body means mounted in said nose cone;

(b) fuze supporting block means centrally mounted on the forward face ofsaid frusto-conical body means and having a central hole, a plurality ofradial 'slots extending outwardly from said hole and a plurality ofpassageways extending radially from said hole to the outer surfaces ofsaid block means, asid slots 41. being in communication with said flashtubes of said fuze means;

(c) retaining clip means attached to the forward surface of said blockmeans, said clip means having curved bracket means adapted to fit saidflanged fuze means thereon and having a plurality of flash holes thereinin communication with said flash tubes of said fuze means;

(d) cam means having handle means thereon pivotally mounted on theforward face of said frusto-conical body means spaced from said blockmeans whereby upon rotation of said handle means said fuze means issecured in place between said cam means and said curved bracket means;

(e) detonating means extending lengthwise of said warhead adjacent theinner surface of said outer casing and extending through saidpassageways, said central hole and said radial slots whereby upon theflashing of said timer, the detonating means will cause a splitting ofsaid warhead into a plurality of sections which releases the chemicalagent payload.

6. A chemical agent filled guided missile warhead as set forth in claim5 in which the flange of said fuze means is a frusto-conical flange.

7. A chemical agent filled guided missile warhead as set forth in claim6 in which said cam means comprises a semi-circular disk with a beveledcamming edge.

8. A chemical agent filled guided missile warhead as set forth in claim5 in which said fuze means has two flash tubes and said block means hasthree passageways.

9. A chemical agent filled guided missile warhead as set forth in claim5 in which the detonating means comprises detonating cord adjacent saidouter casing, in said passageways, and in said radial slots, and adetonating pellet in said central hole.

No references cited.

1. IN A CHEMICAL AGENT FILLED GUIDED MISSILE WARHEAD HAVING A SEPARABLENOSE CONE COEXTENSIVE WITH AN OUTER CASING, AND A FLANGED FUZE MEANSHAVING A PLURALITY OF FLASH TUBES; A DETONATION BLOCK FUSE MOUNTCOMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: A. FRUSTO-CONICAL BODY MEANS MOUNTED INSAID NOSE CONE; B. FUZE SUPPORTING BLOCK MEANS CENTERALLY MOUNTED ON THEFORWARD FACE OF SAID FRUSTO-CONICAL BODY MEANS AND HAVING A CENTRALHOLE, A PLURALITY OF RADIAL SLOTS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HOLE ANDA PLURALITY OF PASSAGEWAYS EXTENDING FROM SAID HOLE TO THE OUTERSURFACES OF SAID BLOCK MEANS, SAID SLOTS BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITHSAID FLASH TUBES OF SAID FUZE MEANS; C. RETAINING CLIP MEANS ATTACHED TOTHE FORWARD SURFACE OF SAID BLOCK MEANS, SAID CLIP MEANS HAVING CURVEDBRACKET MEANS ADAPTED TO FIT SAID FLANGED FUZE MEANS THEREON AND HAVINGA PLURALITY OF FLASH HOLES THEREIN IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FLASHTUBES OF SAID FUZE MEANS; (D). CAM MEANS HAVING HANDLE MEANS THEREONPIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE FORWARD FACE OF SAID FRUSTO-CONICAL BODY MEANSSPACED FROM SAID BLOCK MEANS WHEREBY UPON ROTATION OF SAID HANDLE MEANSSAID FUZE MEANS IS SECURED IN PLACE BETWEEN SAID CAM MEANS AND SAIDCURVED BRACKET MEANS.